8 January 2018

What can a property search do for me?

Excellent advice from Mark Fabian and an understanding of the importance of property searches has saved a local clothing company from leasing a potentially risk-filled property.

Olive Clothing Limited wanted to lease commercial premises in Bath when Mark warned them that their water and drainage search had revealed a sewer underneath the property which could cause problems.

Although the landlord of the property had confirmed that the sewer wasn’t a problem, it had in fact collapsed and was causing damp within the building.

The company decided not to proceed with the lease and were later informed that work to remedy the problem had involved digging beneath the property to solve the leak, along with internal redecoration.

Rohan Moore, director of the clothing company, was delighted that Mark had flagged up the issue. He said: “It just amused me to see that the drain – which you repeatedly alerted me to following searches – was apparently at the heart of the damp issues. An impressive bit of foresight on your part!”

Mark said: “Experience, an eye for detail and a commitment to thorough due diligence are essential in property matters – it is worth investing time and effort before entering into a lease to make sure that it really is worth the investment.

“I see our case as a textbook example of the value to retailers of rigorous prudential checks before saddling themselves with building liabilities — a potentially toxic cocktail of trade disruption and costly reparatory works.”